Intuition- Story Fourteen: My's Alternate Season 4
by Mychand
Summary: Everyone loves Saint John's new girlfriend except Caitlin who can't seem to shake the uneasy feeling she gets when she's around her. When Saint John asks Ami to marry him after only two weeks, Caitlin's life is the one that ends up being changed forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Stringfellow Hawke woke to the sun coming up and peeking through the curtains in his bedroom loft. He opened his eyes and stared at the pretty redhead that was asleep beside him. For once he felt like all was right in the world. He had Caitlin by his side and he had gotten her engagement ring back. That meant that someday she'd be his wife. He loved the thought of that. He hadn't let himself dream of having a wife for a long time. Now, it seemed to all be coming true. To top it all off, he had his brother back and he still got to keep Airwolf. That was the dangerous part of his life but somehow he was learning to keep it all balanced.

He pulled her close to him and kissed her neck. It had become a traditional wake up for her and he loved it. She loved it too.

Caitlin smiled, "Good morning," she said quietly. "You're up early for having such a late night playing cards with Saint John."

"Actually, I bailed on them right after you did," he replied. "I realized right away that he and Ami wanted some alone time together."

"Oh, I see," she replied. "They seem to be getting pretty serious."

String sighed. "Yeah, he really likes her," he said. "I don't recall ever seeing him this happy."

Caitlin lay quiet as String pulled her closer and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?" he asked. "You've been pretty tired lately and you were sound asleep before I even made it up here last night."

"I'm fine," she replied. "I guess all that work at Santini Air yesterday and then our little gathering last night took all my energy."

"Well, if you'd like," String said while kissing her neck again. "I'll go down and make breakfast and you can stay in bed a little longer."

Caitlin turned and gave him a kiss on the lips. "Thank you," she said. "That would be wonderful. But, where did Saint John and Ami go?"

"Oh, I think they slept out by the lake," he said giving her wink as he got up out of bed and put on his sweat pants. "I'm sure they'll be in anytime now and will want to join us for breakfast."

Before he headed downstairs, Caitlin sat up for a moment and stopped him. "String?" she asked. "What do you think of Ami?"

"Oh, I don't know," he replied. "I think she's really nice and definitely a pretty lady."

String noticed the concern in her face. "Why?" he asked. "Don't you like her?"

Caitlin shrugged her shoulders. "I guess so," she replied. "I don't know what it is but sometimes something just doesn't feel right when I'm around her. Maybe it's just me. Please don't say anything to Saint John."

String walked back over to the bed and kissed her again. "I won't," he said. "Besides, Saint John has never said anything negative about you so I'm not about to say a word about his girlfriend."

Caitlin laughed. "Hey, there's nothing negative to say about me!" she said. "I'm perfect."

String smiled. "Yes you are," he said as he left and went downstairs.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Caitlin went back to sleep while String began cooking breakfast. A few minutes later Saint John and Ami came into the cabin laughing and grinning.

"Well, looks like you two had a good night," said String. "Breakfast is almost ready."

"Great," said Ami. "I'm starving."

The two took a seat at the bar. Saint John took her hand and held it tight as they waited for breakfast.

"String," he said. "I have some great news."

Saint John looked at Ami and then back at String before continuing. "Ami and I are engaged."

String was shocked by his brother's announcement. The two had only been dating for just over two weeks. Still, he was happy for him. "That's great," he said. "Congratulations."

"I'm so excited," said Ami. "Saint John is taking me ring shopping this afternoon. I can't wait."

String walked over and gave his brother a hug. "I'm really happy for you," he said. "I wonder which one of us will make it down the aisle first?"

"I will," said Saint John with a grin. "We don't want a long engagement like you two. We're getting married in two months when her parents get back from Europe."

"Speaking of family," said Ami. "I need to check in on my younger brother. Do you have a phone I can use?"

"Sure," replied String. "You can use the one in the back bedroom if you'd like."

Ami thanked him and walked back to the spare bedroom and closed the door. She picked up the phone and dialed the number she had written down on a piece of paper. She carefully watched the door as the person on the other end answered.

"Hey, it's me," she said. "I've got good news. We've got our next payday. This one's asked me to marry him."

"Is he wealthy?" asked the man on the other end.

"Shoot yeah," she said. "You should see the paintings that he and his brother have. The paintings alone could keep us going for a long time."

"Then I'm in," said the man. "What do you need me to do?"

"Right now, nothing," she replied. "My only concern is his brother's girlfriend. For some reason I think I might know her from somewhere. I just can't figure out where. I might need you to handle her later on."

"You got it baby," replied the man. "I'll do whatever you want."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Caitlin made her way downstairs when String called and let her know that breakfast was ready. She found Saint John and String sitting at the bar eating but Ami wasn't with them.

"Smells good," she said. "I'm starved."

"Good," replied String. "I think I made a little too much."

"Where's Ami?" she asked Saint John.

"She'll be right out," he said. "She had to make a phone call. We have great news to share. Last night we got engaged."

The news took Caitlin by surprise. She wasn't sure she even liked Ami and now it looked as though they would be sister in laws.

"That's wonderful," she said trying to hide her disappointment.

"I'm glad you think so," said Saint John. "I was kind of hoping you'd help her with our wedding plans. She doesn't have a sister, only three brothers."

Caitlin smiled. "Sure, I'd be happy to," she lied.

A few minutes later Ami returned to the group and sat back down beside Saint John to eat.

"Ami," said Saint John. "Caitlin's agreed to help you with planning the wedding."

"Oh, that's just wonderful," she replied in a sweet tone that sound a little bit fake to Caitlin. "I can use all the help I can get. We've only got two months to pull it all together."

"Wow," said Caitlin who just about chocked on her food. "That's pretty quick."

"Yeah, well Saint John and I don't see any purpose in a long engagement," she replied. "If you love someone then I think you should just go for it."

Caitlin knew that comment was meant for her. She wasn't about to explain to Ami her reasons for wanting to wait. She hadn't really ever explained them to String. She was just happy that he understood and was willing to wait until she was ready.

"Guys, I'm heading into to town to do a few errands," she said. "Are you all staying around here today?"

"Caitlin," said String. "It's Saturday. Can't whatever you have to do wait until Monday?"

"Not really," she replied. "I won't be gone long."

"We're going ring shopping today, replied Ami. "How about dropping us off at Santini Air to get my car?"

"Sure," Caitlin replied. "I was going to leave in about an hour. Is that okay?"

"Sounds great," said Saint John who couldn't take his eyes off of Ami.

Caitlin could see that he was totally in love with her. She just couldn't shake the bad feeling she got from her. It was obvious that Ami wasn't a fan of Caitlin's either. The comments and verbal jabs she made at Caitlin's expense seemed to go unnoticed by the men. Even Dom seemed to be smitten by her.

When they got to Santini Air Dom was there doing some paperwork that he had gotten behind on. Saint John rushed in and told him the good news. Dom was beside himself with joy. He hugged Ami and welcomed her to the family. Caitlin didn't like how Ami acted around Dom either. She called him Uncle Dom and made over him just to get his attention.

"Am I just jealous?" thought Caitlin. "No, I think I need to find out why this is bugging me so much."

Caitlin left them all and headed to the pharmacy to pick up a couple of things before she went to her main appointment. When she walked in she found him sitting at his desk working.

"I'm sorry to call you here on a Saturday," she said as she sat down across from him. "It's just that it's really important I find out."

Michael smiled at her. "Anything for you Cait," he replied. "Actually, I already had a lot to do today so I was here anyway."

"Did you find any information?" she asked. "Saint John asked her to marry him last night."

"Wow, that's pretty fast," said Michael as he relayed the information he found on Ami's background.

Michael read the information he found on Saint John's fiancé out loud. "Her full name is Rhonda Ami Morgan. She does have an arrest record but it's for petty theft and bad checks," he said.

"Rhonda is her first name?" said Caitlin. "That sounds even more familiar."

"Well, she has three brothers, one is a twin and the other two are half siblings with the last name of Williams," he continued as he showed her pictures of the three brothers. "Those two are both in prison for armed robbery. I'm not sure of the whereabouts of her twin brother."

Caitlin was speechless when she saw the pictures of the older brothers. "That's it," she said. "That's how I know her."

Michael handed Caitlin the report on Ami and let her read the rest. "It says here that her parents died twenty years ago in a car crash," said Caitlin. "She told Saint John that she had to wait to get married in two months when her parents returned from Europe."

"Maybe they're foster parents," said Michael. "There's no information here as to what happened to them all after the parents died."

Caitlin took a deep breath before she continued. "Michael, I need you to keep this meeting between the two of us," she said. "I also need to tell you something about Ami's older brother that I've never told anyone, not even String."

Michael sat up in his chair and gave her a smile. "Of course," he said. "I appreciate that you trust me enough to share."

"Thanks, she replied. "I just need someone who can look at this objectively. I knew Ami as Rhonda and I as soon as she remembers who I am she's going to tell my secret."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Caitlin headed back to the cabin after meeting with Michael. She'd hoped that String wouldn't ask where she'd been. He usually didn't bother to ask her if she decided to go off shopping or had to run errands. He let her have her space and she did the same with him.

He was sitting on the porch of the cabin waiting for her when she came up.

"Hey, it's about time you got here," he said. "I just got a call from Saint John. He and Dom want us to meet them out for dinner to celebrate Saint John and Ami's engagement."

Caitlin tried to smile. "Oh, that's great," she said. "Do I have time to shower and get ready?"

"Sure you do," he replied. "We have about an hour before we have to leave."

String stared at her intently. "Cait, is everything okay?" he asked. "You don't seem like yourself lately."

Caitlin followed String into the cabin and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. "I'm fine," she said. "I was just thinking that Saint John is kind of rushing things. Don't you think that?"

String shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I did at first," he said. "But then I thought about how Saint John has been living his life the past few years. I kind of think he's making up for lost time. Some people fall fast and aren't afraid to just go for it."

"Unlike us?" she asked.

"I wasn't comparing," he replied. "We're different people. Besides, I'll marry you anytime you say. You know that."

Caitlin smiled and then replied quietly. "I know."

String followed her upstairs as she got ready for Saint John's impromptu dinner party. He helped zip up the back of her dress and he put on a casual suit.

"You look beautiful," he said to her as he leaned over and kissed her.

"Thanks," she replied. "Now, will you please stay still so I can fix your tie?"

"We should've had an engagement party," he said. "It would have been fun to celebrate getting engaged."

"We did," she replied laughing. "Except it was a different kind of celebrating."

String laughed as he pulled her close and gave her a tight hug. "You always know how to make me laugh," he said. "Let's get going. I don't want a lecture from Dom about being late."

When they got to the restaurant, Dom had already ordered champagne to celebrate the couple's engagement. Ami quickly showed off the new diamond ring on her finger.

"Isn't it just beautiful," she gushed.

"Not as beautiful as you," said Saint John in return.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Caitlin said to herself. "I wonder if String and I were ever like this?"

String reached over and grabbed Caitlin's hand. He absentmindedly played with the ring on her finger.

Caitlin leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before whispering in his ear. "I love my ring more," she said.

String smiled. He reached over and kissed her on the lips. He loved her so much and as happy as he was for his brother, he was happier for himself at that moment. He knew he had the right lady by his side. He hoped his brother had found the same in Ami.

As dinner was winding down, Ami excused herself to go to the ladies room. She asked Caitlin to go with her. "I have some great ideas about the wedding to share with you," she told Caitlin. "I want your input on them."

"Sure," said Caitlin as she got up and followed her to the other side of the restaurant.

After freshening up her lipstick Ami turned to Caitlin. "Look, I know you're not that fond of me," she said. "I also know why."

"I have nothing against you," said Caitlin.

"Good," she replied. "I remember meeting you a couple of times. You need to know that I'm not like my brother. I love Saint John and no one is going to stop me from marrying him. I just need you know that if you interfere, I'll make sure to tell your fiancé about your past. I bet he has no idea."

Caitlin tried to hide her concern. "No," she said softly. "He doesn't know."

"That's what I thought," she said. "Then I guess we're in agreement then?"

Caitlin agreed reluctantly. "I want Saint John happy," she replied. "You make him happy. I won't get in the way of that."

"You bet you won't," said Ami. "I'll meet you back at the table. I have a call to make."

Caitlin went back to the group and sat down. She tried to smile and keep up a positive image. "I need to tell him," she thought to herself. "I wish I had the courage to tell him. He has to understand. I was only fifteen."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Ami made her phone call. The man on the other end sounded sleepy.

"You know I was up all night," he said. "What's going on?"

"Gabe, I got the ring," she replied. "This one's a beauty. It cost him a pretty penny."

"That's great baby," Gabe replied. "I was gonna buy you one eventually ya know."

"I know," she said. "As soon as we make this score, let's go to Vegas and do it up right."

"You got it," he replied.

"I remembered where I know Caitlin from," she said. "Hopefully I have enough on her to keep her out of my business."

"Okay," said Gabe. "If not, just let me know. Remember, I'll be glad to handle her for ya."

"Thanks," she replied. "I love you Gabe."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning Caitlin was quiet as she sorted through some paperwork for Dom while he and String were doing a quick stunt for a new movie. When they got back String came and sat down in front of her.

"Where's Saint John?" he asked.

"Oh, he and Ami went scouting for wedding locations," replied Caitlin without looking up from the papers.

"I can't believe she wants to move up the wedding to two weeks from now," said Dom. "I guess she really loves him."

Caitlin looked up after Dom's comment. "Two weeks?" she asked. "I didn't realize she had moved it up."

"Yeah, we can't wait," said Saint John as he strolled in behind them.

"Where's Ami?" asked Dom.

"She's out getting a wedding dress," said Saint John. "We found the perfect outdoor location for our simple ceremony. I'm really excited."

String smiled. "That's great," he replied "I can't believe in two weeks you'll be a married man."

"I know," he replied. "It's hard for me to believe too."

"I thought you were waiting for her parents to return?" asked Caitlin.

"We were," Saint John replied. "But, they were going to be longer than planned so we decided to go ahead and get married it now and just celebrate with them later."

Caitlin fought hard to resist the urge to get involved. She couldn't quite understand Ami's rush to get married. She didn't know anything that would keep Saint John from marrying Ami but she did know a lot about one of her older brothers. "I need to stay out of it," she said to herself.

Caitlin ran a few errands for Dom and came back as they were cleaning up for the afternoon. Finally, Caitlin couldn't help but comment to Saint John. "Why not just wait for her parents?" she asked. "What difference would two weeks make?"

Saint John just smiled. "I just want to marry her Cait," he said. "When is up to her. I'll do whatever makes her happy."

"I get it," she replied as she walked to the back office to find Ami sitting there waiting for her.

"So, I thought you weren't getting involved?" asked Ami. "That sounded like you were trying to get involved."

"I'm not trying to keep him from marrying you Rhonda," she said. "I was just asking why there's such a rush."

"It sounded like it to me," she said as she looked Caitlin up and down. "From what I can see, you're in the same position as you were when you were fifteen."

Her comment took Caitlin by surprise. "What?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come off of it," she told Caitlin. "I can tell. Call it women's intuition. So when are you going to tell him? Or are you going to break his heart just like you did my brothers?"

"You know this is different," said Caitlin. "I was only fifteen. You're brother was almost twenty."

"It still doesn't make a difference," she said. "He still never forgave you what you did."

"Stay out of my life and I'll stay out of yours," said Cait.

Ami laughed. "You can't win against me," she said.

String and Saint John both walked into the back office after hearing the ladies arguing.

"What's going on here?" asked Saint John.

Ami ran over to him and gave him a hug. "Caitlin doesn't think we should be getting married so quickly," she said. "But she is no expert on marriage."

"Why are you so concerned about our marriage?" asked Saint John. "Are you jealous that we are getting married first?"

Caitlin looked at Saint John and then at String. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Of course you did," said Ami. "You see, she doesn't like me because of my brother."

"What does your brother have to do with it?" asked String.

Ami looked at Caitlin and grinned before responding. "She married him and then aborted his baby," she replied. "Just like she's about to do yours."

String stared at Caitlin. "What the hell is she talking about? Is this true?"

Caitlin couldn't speak. She didn't know how to respond so she just took off and ran out to her car. String followed her.

"Damn it Caitlin, are you pregnant? He asked while grabbing her arm and stopping her from getting in her car.

"I don't know," she replied trying to pull away from him. "I might be."

String's anger grew. He wasn't so sure if he was angry that she didn't tell him she might be pregnant now or that she actually was married before and had an abortion.

"When were you going to tell me about this other marriage and abortion?" he asked bluntly. "How could you keep something like that from me?"

"It was my past," she replied. "A mistake I made at fifteen. You don't know the whole story."

"Obviously, not," he replied "I don't get it. You were so adamant about knowing my past and yet you keep something this big from me? How can I trust that you aren't holding anything else back? Why is it that you want to wait to get married? Can you at least tell me that?"

Caitlin just stared at him. She wasn't ready to tell him everything. Mostly, it was just out of embarrassment. Her silence angered him more. "Fine," he said. "Don't bother coming back to the cabin until you're ready to be honest with me."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Ami knocked on the hotel door and Gabe immediately opened it and pulled her in. "Finally," he said. "I get you all to myself for awhile."

"Not too long," she replied. "Things are going smooth with our plans but I can't be away from him too long."

"So, how long do you think we'll have to get in and get the artwork?" he asked.

"I figure several hours at least," she replied. "While I'm marrying Mr. Hawke, you'll be robbing him blind."

Ami laughed as she hugged and kissed Gabe. "This is the best con we've ever run," she said. "And, I got to stick it to my brother's ex too."

"Oh yeah," he said. "You got her out of the way?"

"I think so for now," she replied. "She still has a lot to tell her poor fiancé. You should have seen his face. I didn't even tell him the whole story. She's going to be too busy dealing with her own mess to get in my way."

"I hope you're right," he said.

"Don't worry," said Ami. "If not, we'll just take care of her."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A

Caitlin sat back and enjoyed the quiet solitude she'd found. For some reason she always felt safe there. She wished she could feel that way all the time.

"What a mess I've made," she thought. "Why couldn't I have just told him all of this before?"

Suddenly the door opened and she nearly jumped out of her seat.

Dom smiled at her. "I thought I might find you here." He climbed into Airwolf and sat beside her.

"I guess you heard?" she asked. "Is String still upset?"

Dom put his hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, he's having a hard time with this," he replied. "But not for the reasons you might think."

"I didn't know how to tell him Dom," she replied.

"Well, honesty is a big deal to String," replied Dom. "All he wants is the truth."

Caitlin sighed. "Is it okay if I tell you all about it first?" she asked hoping it would help her to gage String's reaction.

"You know you can," he replied.

"I was only fifteen, Dom," she said. "He was nearly twenty. He worked for my uncle who owned an auto repair shop. I use to hang around there on weekends and eventually he invited me out with him and his friends. My parents nearly had a fit when they found out but I didn't care. I liked the attention he gave me."

"Well, that is a big difference in age," said Dom. "I can't say as I blame them."

"Oh, I agree," she replied. "But you can't exactly tell a fifteen year old who thinks she's in love that. I followed him everywhere after that and then he got me to try things. He was heavy into a lot of drugs so he would steal quite often for money. He managed to get me to help him. I knew it was wrong but I thought I was doing it for love. After being with him for about two months, I got pregnant."

Dom was quiet, too quiet at first. "You know, he really sounds like scum to prey on a young girl like that," he said.

"He was," she replied. "I only met Ami twice. I met her once when she brought him some money at the garage and then again at the end."

"At the end?" he asked.

"When Terry found out about the baby he convinced me that we could run away and get married and no one could do anything about it," she continued. "I was so naïve. We lied about my age and had a quick ceremony. When we got back my parents found out everything and got involved."

"I bet your parents were livid," said Dom. "I know I would have been."

"Yeah, I'd say they were more than that," she said. "My dad took care of the legal matters with the marriage and my mom took me to get the abortion."

Tears began to fall down Caitlin's face. Dom reached up and wiped them with his hand.

"That must have been hard," he said.

"It was," she replied. "Remember, I still thought I was in love. I didn't realize how wrong it was for someone that old to get involved with me at such a young age. I wanted the baby but my parents threatened to send me away. Not long after that Terry ended up going to jail for drug possession. For years he would send me letters telling me that he loved me and asking how I could kill our baby."

"Dom," she continued. "I was so young and so stupid. I just wanted to move on with my life and forget that it ever happened. I would have told String eventually in my own time. It wasn't right for Ami to tell him."

"I agree," he replied. "I thought Ami was a nice girl and I'm happy for Saint John but it was wrong of her to tell your business."

"I guess I'm not the perfect girl that String thought I was," she said sadly. "I don't know what to do Dom."

"Be honest with him just like you were with me," he replied. "By the way, are you really pregnant now?"

Caitlin tried to smile. "I might be," she said. "Funny thing is that after the abortion the doctor told my mother that I might have problems ever getting pregnant again. This came as a shock."

Dom stared at her. "So is this why you want to wait and get married?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "There's a little more to the story."


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm in a big writing mood today! :o) Thanks for the reviews! _

**Chapter 6**

When she was finished telling Dom her story, Caitlin felt a little more relieved. He didn't seem to judge her like she thought. She was surprised at how understanding he was.

"Caitlin," he said. "Sweetheart, I think the problem here is that you haven't forgiven yourself for a mistake you made at fifteen."

"You're right Dom," she said. "It kills me every time I think about how stupid I was. I use to wish that life had do overs. If I could go back and change it, I would never have gotten involved with Terry."

"No, we can't change our past," he replied. "But we can learn from it and let it guide our future."

Caitlin smiled. "That's exactly what my dad told me," she said. "He was right and so are you. It's why I think I'm so strong and independent now."

Dom smiled. "See, there ya go," he said. "Now, I think if you tell String everything you just told me, he'll understand too."

Caitlin sighed. "I hope so," she replied. "I really do. I love him Dom and I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."

Caitlin watched as Dom climbed out of Airwolf and left he lair. She felt better at having told him about her past just as she had when she told Michael. They hadn't judged her like she thought they would. "I guess I should go and talk to String now," she thought to herself. "Waiting isn't going to help at this point."

She climbed into her car and drove back to Santini Air. Before getting out of her car she sat there for several minutes trying to get her courage up. "Why is this so hard?" she asked herself. "I guess String's opinion matters more to me than anything. I don't want him to look down on me for what I did."

Caitlin couldn't stop the tears from falling. "Come on Cait," she said to herself. "Pull yourself together."

She finally opened the door and stepped out of the car. To her surprise she was met by two men. One pushed a gun in her back. She dropped her purse in surprise and tried to fight them but the other one grabbed her arms while the second man moved the gun to her head. "Don't even try it," he said.

They forced her into the car that was parked right beside hers and quickly sped away. Once inside the car Caitlin got a better look at the men. She recognized one of them from the photographs that Michael had shown her.

"What do you want with me?" she asked. "You're Ralph aren't you?"

Ralph turned around in his seat and stared at her. "Yeah," he said. "I'm Ralph, Ami's brother. I'm also Terry's brother. You do remember him don't you?"

"Of course I do," she replied. "Answer me, what do you want with me!"

Ralph just laughed. "Oh, you'll see in time," he said. "Let's just say that we need to make sure you don't stick your prissy little nose in where it doesn't belong."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Enough questions," shouted Gabe. "You need to shut up Ralph. We don't have to tell her anything."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Dom sat at his desk and watched String work for about an hour before getting up and going over to him. He could tell that String was frustrated and was taking it out on his work.

"Why don't you take a break," he said.

String stopped what he was doing and looked at Dom. "I can't," he said. "This helps me to keep my mind off of things."

"Look String," said Dom. "I talked to Caitlin and I think you should too."

"I told her to come to me when she was ready," he replied angrily. "The ball's in her court. I'm not the one who lied."

"String, she didn't lie," he said. "She just left some things out about her past."

"It's the same thing in my book," he said. "I just don't know how she could keep something that big from me."

"Well, what's done is done," said Dom. "You can go and give up on her and regret it for the rest of your life or you can put it behind you and move on."

String stood up and walked over to the table where he'd left his coffee. He took a sip and thought about what Dom had said. "I never said I was giving up on her Dom," he replied. "I can't give up on our relationship every time something goes wrong. I love her too much for that. I'm just hurt."

Before Dom could reply, Saint John came back from picking up supplies for Dom. He was carrying Caitlin's purse.

"Hey, where's Caitlin?" he asked. "She dropped her purse out by her car."

Dom and String looked at each other.

"Cait's not here," said String. "You said her car is out there?"

"Yeah, right out back here where she usually parks," replied Saint John.

Saint John followed as Dom and String ran outside to Caitlin's car. They opened the door and then looked around. String noticed her keys on the ground just under the car. He bent down and picked them up.

"This doesn't look good," said Dom.

"No, it doesn't," replied String. "It looks like someone snatched Caitlin."

"Why?" asked Saint John. "Who would want to take Caitlin?"

"I don't know," replied String. He was trying hard not to show that he was about to panic. "I think we should call Michael and see what we can find out."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The three men walked back into the hanger and String picked up the phone to contact Michael. Before he could dial the number, Michael's limo pulled up.

"What are you doing here Michael?" asked String. "I was just calling you."

"I have some disturbing news," he replied. "I felt it was best to deliver it in person. Where's Caitlin?"

String sighed. "That's what I was calling you about," he replied. "We think someone's taken her."

"That's what I was afraid of," replied Archangel.

"What are you talking about Michael?" asked String. "What's going on?"

Michael looked over at Saint John. "This news is going to be hard to take," he replied. "It will be especially for you Saint John."

"Spill it Michael," demanded Dom.

"Okay, okay," he replied. "Caitlin contacted me a few days ago about Saint John's fiancé Ami. She thought she might know her from somewhere and I helped her put the pieces together. I didn't think there was much more to it except that she had two brothers in prison."

"Yeah, I know that," said Saint John. "I can't believe that Cait would go to you to have her checked out."

"She was concerned," said Michael. "Plus she had some nagging suspicions about her."

"Okay, so what more did you find out?" asked String.

Michael took a deep breath before continuing. "It appears that Ami or Rhonda is part of a ring of con men. She's been traveling across the country dating several men at a time until she finds one with enough wealth for them to steal."

Saint John was quiet as he listened to Michael. Finally he spoke up. "I don't believe that Michael," he replied. "I don't have anything for her to steal. You must have the wrong lady."

String put his hand on Saint John's shoulder. "We do have the art work," he replied. "She's seen it and she knows how to get to it."

"I'm sorry Saint John but I don't have the wrong woman," said Michael. "She and her boy friend, a man named Gabe Smith are traveling with her twin brother Ralph. Until this last job they pulled, they were wanted for theft. Now, it's murder. They found the daughter of her last fiancé dead. She'd been missing for six months."

"Damn it!" yelled String. "Now they have Caitlin. We've got to get to them."

"We know they want the art work," said Michael. "They won't leave without it. I suggest you continued as is with Ami and pretend to know nothing. Eventually she'll lead you to Caitlin or at least you can be there to keep them from stealing the art."

Dom walked over to Saint John and gave him a hug. "I'm so sorry," he said.

"I know," he replied. He was quiet for several more minutes before continuing. "Okay, I'll play along. I have to know one way or another."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Ami walked into Gabe's hotel room and was shocked at what she found. Caitlin was sitting in a chair by the table with her hands tied behind her back and her feet tied to the bottom of the chair. Her mouth was duck taped shut.

"What the hell is she doing here?" asked Ami. "It's too soon."

Gabe pulled her to him and kissed her. "I had to move things up," he said. "They found that girl's body. They'll be looking for us soon. Sorry but you won't get to marry that fellow. Taking her will have to be the distraction we need."

"Fine," Ami hissed. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just continue as usual," he replied. "Find out if they know anything and their reaction to this lady's disappearance."

Ami sighed. "Okay, I guess I should be going now."

Gabe grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to him again. "What's your hurry baby?" he asked. "I think you like fooling around with that Hawke. How'd you like it if I did the same with this little lady here?"

"Uh uh," said Ralph as he stepped out of the bathroom. "This one here is mine. After what she did to my brother, I'm going to have some fun making her pay."

Caitlin felt herself begin to shake. "They are all insane," she thought. "That whole family is nuts. I've got to figure out a way to get out of here. Obviously they're not all that intelligent."

Ami looked at Gabe and then over to her brother. "Do whatever you want," she said. "But I think she might be pregnant. I definitely don't want her to have this baby. She took away our brother's and I want you to take away this one."

"Hell, it won't matter," said Gabe. "She'll be dead when we're done anyhow."

Ami looked at Caitlin and smirked. "Don't do anything until we get the art work," she said. "I want her to have the anguish of knowing what's coming. Then, I want to watch."

Ralph laughed. "Sure thing sis, sure thing," he replied. "We'll wait.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Caitlin tried to shift herself in the chair as Ralph came close to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He moved her hair out of the way and kissed her neck. She closed her eyes and tried to struggle against the ropes.

Ralph laughed. "It's no use fighting it," he said. "I'm good at tying ropes. I'm good at lots of things. It's too bad my sister won't let me to take care of you now. I had all kinds of things planned."

"Leave her alone and get over here," demanded Gabe. "We need to review this sketch of the cabin that Rhonda gave us. We might not have a lot of time to get in and out with the goods."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Ami was greeted immediately by Saint John when she walked back into Santini Air. He gave her a kiss and hugged her tightly.

"I missed you," he said. "Did you get all of your errands done?"

She smiled at him. "Almost," she replied while looking over at String who was sitting at the desk sulking. "Did he and Caitlin have another fight?"

"Oh no," said Saint John. "She just took off again."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"She does this from time to time if they have a spat," he replied. "She'll be back in a few days. In the meantime he'll go up to the cabin and sulk."

"Makes you wonder why they stay together," said Ami. "But, guess that works for them. That reminds me. I need to make a phone call to check on those flowers for the wedding. I'll be right back."

Saint John smiled at her. "Sure," he said. "Go right ahead."

String watched as Ami headed to the back office to use the phone. Then he looked at his brother. He could tell it was really hard on him. He had wanted it all to be a lie. Knowing that Michael had the phone bugged, the brothers waited outside by the desk.

Ami picked up the phone and called Gabe. Before he could even speak to her she rattled off what she learned. "We have to move up the time to right now," she said. "Get up to that cabin and get what you can. String will be up there tonight and it might be days until he leaves. He thinks she's just run off."

Gabe and Ralph pulled everything together quickly and gathered all of their belongings from the room.

"Looks like we have a change of plans," Gabe told Caitlin. "You won't have the pleasure of our company any longer."

As they were about to head out of the door, Ralph stopped. "I'll catch up to you in a few minutes," he told Gabe. "I have a promise to keep."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

Ami came out of the back room and walked back over to the men. Saint John could see that her demeanor had changed.

"I need to go and straighten some things out," she told him. "Planning a wedding sure is a lot harder than I thought it would be."

"That's okay baby," he replied. "You go and do whatever you have to do."

When Ami left Michael came out of the back room. "I have tail on her," he said. "She won't be able to go anywhere without us knowing. We traced the call to a hotel just down the road. Marella and I will check it out and see if Cait's there."

"Alright Michael," said String. "I think the rest of us need to get up to the cabin right away. Come on Dom, let's go get the Lady."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A

Ami met up with Gabe and Ralph who were just getting into the old helicopter they had recently purchased.

"Good thing you know how to fly Gabe," said Ami. "This is one time that it will actually come in handy."

"Hey, you're the one who prefers road travel over air travel," he responded. "To me, this is the only way to go."

As they lifted off of the ground Ami asked about Caitlin.

"Did you take care of her?" she asked.

"Oh, I sure did," said Ralph with a grin. "I keep my promises."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Gabe landed the helicopter on the dock as Ami instructed him to do. She and Ralph got out while they decided to leave Gabe in the helicopter as to be ready for a quick get a way. They quickly ran up to the cabin and opened the door. To her surprise, Saint John was sitting at the bar waiting for her.

"That was fast," he said to her.

"Saint John," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said. "But I know the answer. I really wish that it weren't true. You do know that you won't get away with it?"

Ami pulled out her gun and aimed it at him. "Oh yes," she said. "Yes I will. I always get my way, you know that. I wanted you and I got you. I wanted to get married fast and you agreed. I always win. I will now."

She turned to Ralph. "Grab everything you can get your hands on," she said. "We need to get out of here fast."

"Don't you dare," said Saint John as he moved toward her. "Put the gun down Ami. I know you won't shoot me."

"Oh no?" she asked. "Just try me. Run, Ralph, run."

Ralph ran out the door carrying two paintings as Saint John rushed towards Ami. The two struggled over the gun when it suddenly went off.

Her brother heard the gunshot and ran as fast as he could to the dock. Looking up he saw Airwolf and dropped the paintings as he rushed to get inside the helicopter before Gabe took off.

"We can't leave Ami," he pleaded with Gabe. "I heard a shot. She'll be right out."

"No, we have to get out of here," Gabe replied. "It's too late. She'll have to fend for herself. "

As they took off, String followed close behind them in Airwolf. Ralph stuck his arm out and began firing his gun at them.

"You've got to be kidding me," said String. "Land that thing right now or I'll blow you out of the sky."

Gabe maneuvered them so that they were behind Airwolf. Ralph pulled out a hand held rocket launcher and aimed it towards the Lady.

"String," said Dom

"I see it," replied String. "Give me all we got Dom. I'm taking care of them right now."

Dom cut the engines and Airwolf fell behind Gabe's helicopter. In a matter of seconds String blew them out of the sky. Quickly they landed on the dock. String jumped out and ran inside of the cabin. He was saddened at what he saw. Saint John was sitting on the floor cradling Ami's body. He had tears in his eyes. It was something String had never seen before. Even when their parents had died, Saint John never cried. He always held it together. Now, it was different.

"I thought she loved me String," he said. "I really did. How could I have been so stupid?"

String didn't know how to respond. He had his own crisis going on with Caitlin. He prayed she was okay and that Michael had found her.

"You weren't stupid," he replied. "Love never makes any sense."

"Come on," he continued. "We need to get going."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Back at the hotel, Michael and Marella proceeded with caution as they entered the room that the clerk told them was assigned to Gabe Smith. They opened the door to see that the room was wrecked.

"Caitlin?" called Michael. "Caitlin?"

The two heard a muffled sound coming from the other side of one of the beds. They ran over to see Caitlin tied to the chair with duck tape on her mouth. She was lying sideways on the floor. It was apparent that she had been badly beaten.

"Shhh…take it easy Cait," said Michael. "We're here now."

The two removed the ropes and tape from Caitlin and gently laid her down on one of the beds.

"Oh God it hurts so bad Michael," Caitlin cried. "It hurts so badly."

"What hurts Caitlin?" he asked.

"My stomach," she replied. "He just kept kicking me. He wouldn't stop."

Michael picked her up and carried her in his arms as Marella opened the door and made way for him.

"We need to get her to the Firm's clinic right away," said Michael. "Call Hawke and tell him that we found her. He needs to meet us there as soon as he can."

They quickly got into the limo and rushed to the clinic. Marella contacted String as instructed. He told her what happened at the cabin. She decided to leave out the details of Caitlin's injuries as to not cause him too much alarm. She tried to assure him that she would be fine.

"Okay Marella," he said. "Let Michael know that Ami is dead. We're bringing her body in with us. Tell him that other two were blown from the sky."

Michael looked at Marella as she relayed the information to him about Ami. He turned and looked at Caitlin who was now unconscious.

"One brother just lost a fiancé," he said. "I'll be damned if I let it happen to another one. Caitlin's too important."

_If you follow my stories you know that there is one more chapter to go!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

String and Dom waited with the others in the hallway for news on Caitlin. Finally, the doctor came out to speak with them.

"May I please speak to Mr. Hawke alone for a moment," he asked.

"Sure," said String as he walked down the hall a ways with the doctor. "What is it?"

"I thought you had the right to know," he said. "Caitlin suffered a miscarriage as a result of the beating she took to the abdomen. The good news is that she will be able to get pregnant again in the future."

String had to catch his breath. "So, she was pregnant," he said softly. "She said she wasn't sure. When can I see her?"

"I'm afraid she doesn't want to see you right now," he continued.

"No," replied String. "I have to see her even if for only a minute."

"Look, Mr. Hawke," said the doctor. "She's in a delicate frame of mind right now. I can't let you go in there and make it worse."

"I'm not going to make it worse," String insisted. "I just need to see her for a minute."

The doctor hesitated but finally agreed to let String see her. He eased his way into the room. She was lying on her side with her back to him. He could hear her quietly sobbing. After standing there for what seemed like an eternity, he spoke to her.

"Caitlin?" he said quietly as he moved to the opposite side of the bed to see her face.

She looked up at him and then closed her eyes. "Please go," she said softly. "There's no need for you to be here."

She took her hand and slipped her ring off of her finger and started to hand it to him.

"No," he said sharply. "There is no way in hell I'm taking that back. I love you too much and I know you love me."

String could feel her shaking as he slipped the ring back on her finger. Tears continued to flow down her face. "But what about my past?" she asked. "The things I didn't tell you about?"

He sat down beside her on the bed and pulled her to him.

"We'll talk about the past when you're out of here and feel better," he said. "Right now, we've both had a loss and all I want to do is hold you."

Caitlin turned and put her arms around him and held him tight. He let her cry as much as she needed and at one point he cried with her.

When the doctor came in to check on them, he found String lying in the bed with her and holding her. Drained from emotion, they had both fallen asleep.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A few days later, Caitlin was released and allowed to go home. Saint John had decided to take a trip on his own to get away from things for awhile. String and Dom respected his wishes and didn't argue with his decision. They had only wished that they could help him in some way.

Caitlin was quiet on the flight back to the cabin. She and String both knew that they had a lot to talk about. He didn't want to push her because he knew how much she had been through. As soon as she got into the cabin she sat down on the couch. He asked her if she wanted anything before sitting down with her.

He turned and gave her a serious look that matched the one on her face.

"String, you know that I really wanted our baby, don't you?" she asked.

"Of course I do," he replied. "I never doubted that."

He moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder before she continued.

"I was only fifteen. I was so stupid. I trusted him because he was so much older," she said. "I didn't listen to my parent's warnings about him and when I got pregnant, he made me believe that we'd have this great life together. I wanted so badly to believe it that I ignored all the warnings in my head. Of course the marriage wasn't legal. I was too young and didn't have parent permission."

"So, he took advantage of you," String said sadly. "It happens."

"Yeah, but my parents stepped in and took care of everything. They forced me into the abortion. I was still in love and hated them for a long time after that," she replied.

String took her hand and began fumbling with her ring as he usually did. "I bet that was hard on you," he said.

"It was," she replied. "But I want you to know that I wasn't trying to keep a secret from you because I didn't want you to know about my past. I was just too embarrassed about it and I guess ashamed that I was so naïve to have let it all happen. I've spent most of my life trying to forget about it."

String leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "Is this why you're so reluctant to get married now?" he asked hoping that he'd finally get an answer.

Caitlin gave him a smile. "Well, not exactly," she replied. "Look String, my parents were divorced when I was seven."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "Your parents are married."

"Not when I was fifteen, they weren't," she replied. They were divorced for about fourteen years before they remarried. Once all of us started leaving home they sort of found their way back to each other. My mom always said that it was because they rushed into it and didn't know each other well enough the first time. By the time they remarried, they knew what they were getting into. I guess that influence stuck."

String laughed. "And all this time I was afraid that you not wanting to get married right away had to do specifically with me."

"No, it wasn't because of you," she replied. "My parents blamed themselves for what happened to me. They thought that if they'd still been together that none of it would have happened. Our family spent a lot of time in counseling over it all."

String pulled her even closer to him and kissed her passionately. She held on to him tightly. "You don't have to ever be afraid to tell me anything," he said. "I'm in this for the long run. I love you and I have no intention of letting you walk away now."

"Even if I'm not that perfect girl you thought I was?" she asked.

String grinned. "Oh, you'll always be perfect to me," he said. "In more ways than you'll ever know."

Caitlin hugged him even tighter and kissed him again. "I guess we weren't quite ready for a baby," she said sadly.

"How in the world did you get pregnant in the first place?" he asked.

"Uh, do I need to explain the birds and the bees to you?" she asked jokingly. "How do you think it happened?"

String laughed. "No, I meant, I thought we had it covered," he replied.

"Oh yeah," she said. "Well, think about it for a moment. How did you expect me to take care of it when we were trapped on that island by Horn?"

String thought about the events on the island. "Oh," he replied. "I get your point. I guess I didn't think about that at the time."

The two sat quiet on the couch and listened as the rain began to fall on the roof of the cabin.

"So," he said. "Even though we aren't ready for a baby just yet, we can still keep on practicing for one can't we?"

Caitlin laughed and slapped him on the arm. "You're insatiable when it comes to that," she replied.

String grinned. "Don't act like you don't feel the same," he replied. "That's one of the things that I find so perfect about you."

Caitlin pulled away from String and looked him in the eyes. "Next spring," she said. "Let's set a date for next spring."

**The End**


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